


Manizeh Rahman and the Three Riddles

by Glowstar826



Series: Marauders Era Self-Insert [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bully James potter, Bully Sirius Black, Bullying, Gen, Good Albus Dumbledore, Good Severus Snape, Good Slytherins, Good Writing, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Hogwarts Houses, Lily Evans Potter is a Good Friend, Mystery, No Romance, Not Canon Compliant, POV Female Character, POV First Person, POV Original Female Character, Pre-Canon, Remus Lupin is a Good Friend, Self-Insert, Sirius Black & James Potter Friendship, Sirius Black is a Little Shit, Slytherin Common Room, Slytherin Pride, Slytherins Being Slytherins, Spoilers, Young James Potter, Young Lily Evans Potter, Young Severus Snape, Young Sirius Black
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28011153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowstar826/pseuds/Glowstar826
Summary: Manizeh is a young girl with big dreams. None of those dreams, however, involve being a witch. When she is uprooted from her life in America, she doesn't know what to expect. She settles into her new life and makes a new friend, and all is fine by the time June 1971 rolls around.That is, until she gets her Hogwarts letter.(Book 1/15)
Relationships: James Potter & Sirius Black & Peter Pettigrew, Original Female Character & Severus Snape & Lily Evans & Remus Lupin
Series: Marauders Era Self-Insert [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051637
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. The Strange Letter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Hey guys! So. I'm trying something different. For a long time, I have wanted to insert myself in the Marauders Era because I hated the way Severus was treated and I wanted to save him from his canon fate. I wanted to write about myself going to Hogwarts and getting Sorted into Slytherin and becoming best buds with Severus. I wanted to give him a better life and to be someone who would be willing to defend him every step of the way from his first year to his seventh year. I talked to my good friend, Hucklebarry, about it, and she wanted to join in the fun as well. So I added her, too. Together, we built an entire world and an amazing AU that I wouldn't have been able to build on my own. Please note that there are phrases written in my parents' first language, Bangla, to make it more authentic to my life, and there will be translations provided at the end.**
> 
> **I hope you guys will enjoy the journey I'm about to take y'all on. It's gonna be great, and I think you'll like it! I've heard some negative things about self-inserts in the past, but let me promise you one thing:**
> 
> **I _live_ to defy clichés.**
> 
> **So, on that note, I hope you enjoy the first chapter!**

Doing writing assignments in England is like turning in an impeccably detailed three-page essay with REFERENCES and a BIBLIOGRAPHY only for it to be handed back to you because you _refused_ to use the British spellings.

Because that's EXACTLY what happened.

Don't get me wrong, though. I _love_ England, but come _on_!

Can't you give a ten-year-old Texan girl who just moved to London only six months ago a break?

Right. It may sound like a lot of work for a person my age, but hear me out.

You see, I finished the first semester of fourth grade by the time I moved here in January, and I was immediately bumped into Year Six because of my age. I mean, what? They basically made me skip an entire grade! I think Year Six would be the equivalent of sixth grade in America, but I'm not too sure.

Well, at least I can say I skipped a grade just like my mom did as a kid, but my mom wasn't too happy about it when she found out.

You may be wondering why my parents decided to uproot us from our good life in America and move us across the Atlantic. Feel free to get in contact with them because I'm wondering the same exact thing.

Now, it's not like I've never been to England in my life, so don't you _dare_ call me a dumb American.

I will hunt you down and physically _harm_ you if you do.

I've been to England twice in my short life: once when I was six and another time when I was eight. Both trips were super awesome! I even got a little taste of what living in England was like the last time since we rented out an apartment. We had to get our own food from Marks and Spencer and cook it ourselves. The apartment was somewhere in Earl's Court. A walking distance from the station, actually. The place I'm at now is where I temporarily live.

I really love the neighborhood. The trees are a beautiful green and we live in front of a kind of road that I've always wanted to live by. The railings and the staircases all look positively perfect, and I just love the look of it all in general. It's so scenic and beautiful, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I think we live in a townhouse if I'm not mistaken. It could also be a row house. I'm not too sure about the difference, but all I know is that people live above us. Which means we don't have the area to ourselves.

We're currently looking for other houses to live in since this place doesn't have enough rooms. Daddy has to sleep on the couch, and I hate that. Mommy and I share the small bed in the singular bedroom. I told my parents many times in the past that I could sleep on the couch so Daddy could sleep comfortably, but neither of them had any of it. Daddy said that he's used to it and that he used to sleep on the floor all the time. Mommy said that it's too close to the door and anybody could come in and take me. After many arguments, I conceded defeat. Sometimes, I get the bed to myself whenever my parents need to have late-night talks after dinner.

The last day of school is tomorrow, June 30th, and I have to work hard to correct every _color_ to _colour_ and _sanitize_ to _sanitise_. Ugh! It's just so annoying! For some reason, though, I find it nice that school ends in June instead of May. It's different, and I like different. The more variety in my life, the better.

" _Ma_ ," Mommy calls softly from the sofa just as I add the last correction to my paper, "time for bed."

I look at Mommy and reply, "Okay."

" _Jao_. Go brush your teeth and I'll come to tuck you in."

"Okay, Mommy," I say, feeling warm inside.

Smiling, I get up, put my papers into my folder, and put the folder into my backpack, which I then zip up and place in the chair I was sitting in just now so I won't forget it before I go to school. Then, I walk up to Daddy, give him a hug and a kiss, and go down the small hallway to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

In the past months, I managed to make one friend. His name is Peter. He's kind of skittish, and we're total opposites, but we kind of bonded over the fact that we're both outsiders, me being American and him being, well, _him_. He isn't too popular in school and he's not good at much of anything, but he has a good heart. He was very nice to me when I helped him with the homework he was clearly struggling with. My teacher had asked me to help him since she saw how intelligent I was through my work. After that day, Peter and I formed a tentative friendship.

Another good thing about school is Mrs. Lupin, who is my teacher. She's such a lovely lady. She's gentle but firm, and she wants us to succeed by the time the year's through. When I was introduced to the class, she was very kind, caring, and compassionate. She even kept me after school for the first two weeks just so she could help me catch up with the other students and educate me on the norms of British education. She also helped me work on my spellings for words like _encyclopedia_ and _license_ which British versions are _encyclopaedia_ and _licence_. Besides Peter, Mrs. Lupin was a huge help in regards to me settling into my new life in Britain.

To show our gratitude, my parents and I got her a nice gift from Harrods that I'm going to give her tomorrow. I can't wait to give her the scarf and the Chanel perfume. I also made her a card since she helped me so much, and I'm very grateful to her for being there for me when I needed it. I really hope she likes it. I chose the scarf myself. I also got something for her son, who she says is our age but homeschooled because he's very sickly. After hearing that, I decided to make Daddy take me to the crafts shop so I could make her son a bracelet with some electric blue, coal black, lime green, and off-white beads. It doesn't look very girlish, so I hope Mrs. Lupin will appreciate it. I also hope her son appreciates it. I worked extremely hard on it and put my best effort into the bracelet.

As I scrub my teeth and try to avoid getting the minty toothpaste on my tongue, I think about my friends back in America. I didn't have many friends at my old school. None, actually. The friends I have are all family friends, so I won't have to worry about drifting apart from them. I definitely plan to visit them during the summer if I can. I really miss Rafay and Hana. They're siblings and the best friends I could ask for. We're practically cousins. Our parents are all East Pakistani, and we look alike. Well, it's now Bangladeshi since we finally gained independence from Pakistan back in March. We had a huge party here once we got the news.

Our moms were friends as kids (my mom was besties with Rafay and Hana's mom's older sister, who I know as Shabana Auntie; I know Rafay and Hana's mom as Zooni Auntie), and they're still really close. I hope Rafay and Hana miss me, but I don't think they'll miss me as much as I'm currently missing them. They, unlike me, have other friends that can take up their time. As of right now, I've only got Peter. I hope to make more friends in the future, of course, but it's unlikely unless I get over my fear of talking to other people on my own without being prompted.

It's weird. When I really get into a conversation with someone, it looks like I'm the most outgoing, confident person in the world. I can handle myself if I really like the topic. But, if I'm put on the spot and I have to single-handedly uphold a conversation about a topic I don't know much about, I just simply _cannot_ talk without my stomach tying itself into knots and my palms sweating a waterfall. I don't think my friendship with Peter will last, though, since we're so different. It's like night and day. I'd like to think of myself as confident in certain things and scared in others. With Peter, he's scared of everything and needs me to help him overcome different hurdles that come his way! But I'll definitely try to keep in contact with him if I can unless we drift apart naturally.

My grades aren't as high as I'd like them to be. I was an A-student back in America. Now, I'm making mostly B's and C's with the occasional A. I broke down when I got my first C. Mommy and Daddy held me that night until I felt better. On the subject of my grades, Mrs. Lupin, in an effort to raise my self-esteem, commended me on my art skills in class. When she saw some of my writing pieces, she told me that I reminded her a lot of her son, who was apparently very intelligent and bookish. I can tell she loves her child very much and is very proud of him.

We discussed different classic books together, and we bonded over our love of _Little Women_. I told her how my favorite character is Jo for her rambunctiousness and tomboyishness, and Mrs. Lupin told me that she loved Laurie and thought he and Jo should have married instead of him and Amy. Frankly, I quite agree. Amy and Laurie just don't go well together in my opinion. They're very different people. She also talked about _Sense and Sensibility_ and _Pride and Prejudice_. I already knew the plot of the first book, but I had a learning experience in regards to the second one. By the end of it all, I found that I loved Darcy. And Elizabeth, of course. But mostly Darcy. I wonder why.

Removing my glasses to splash water, I turn off the faucet and dab my face dry. As I exit the bathroom, I hear my parents talking with each other rapidly.

"Manizeh!" Daddy calls from the living room, evidently hearing my footsteps. " _Ekhane asho_!"

" _Ami ashtesi_!" I reply, and I pick up my pace. When I get to the main room, I see both my parents looking positively gleeful. A letter with a red wax seal lies in between them.

" _Dekho_ ," Mommy tells me as she gestures to the letter. "This is the exact letter we've moved to England for."

I raise an eyebrow, feeling skeptical. No, they couldn't have _possibly_ moved all the way across the Atlantic for a silly _letter_. No way!

"You're kidding," I say in disbelief, expecting either Mommy or Daddy to laugh, pat me on the back, and say, "No, we're joking," but they remain silent.

"So...no?"

"No, _ma_ , it's not," Mommy answers.

" _Asho_ ," says Daddy. " _Amar shate bosho_ , _tarpore_ _ey_ letter _khulo_."

"Okay," I reply, and I take the letter and plop myself in between my parents. I open the envelope and take out the contents of it, handing the envelope to Mommy. Then, I unfold the paper and read what's on it:

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**

**(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,**

**Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**

**Dear Ms Rahman,**

**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**

**Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy Headmistress**

Then, I flip to the second page and read over what looks like a material list. Once I'm done, I set down the letter on my lap indignantly, feeling utterly betrayed and confused and upset all at once.

"You took me here," I begin slowly after a minute, "just so I can have a _joke_ played on me?" I don't feel ten any longer; I feel older, stronger, and angrier.

"You TOOK me here," I repeat, "because of THIS!" I jump up and wave the old-looking parchment at my parents' faces. "Please tell me this is some kind of joke!"

"If you want proof that magic exists, I'll show you," Mommy offers.

"I can, too," Daddy adds.

"Wait — what?" I ask blankly.

"Yeah!" says Daddy excitedly. "We've been waiting for this moment since the day you were born."

With that, my parents practically run out of the room and return literally seconds later with what I presume to be their wands. No, I'm not calling them sticks like a _dumb_ _American_ would. I refuse to have that label affixed to my name.

"Scarf _thau_ ," says Mommy. Daddy throws her a scarf.

"Watch. _Wingardium Leviosa_ ," she murmurs, and I watch, mesmerized as she makes a very specific swish-and-flick movement. My jaw drops when I see the scarf rise slowly into the air. A feeling of excitement overtakes my body and senses, realizing that, if the letter is real, it means I can do the thing Mommy's doing right now with the scarf.

" _Accio_ scarf!" exclaims Daddy, and the scarf flies right into his hand.

" _Serpensortia_!" Mommy says a second later as she points her wand at Daddy, and I scream when a snake is shot out of it.

"Relax, _ma_! Calm down!" Daddy tells me, chuckling as if that snake was the most harmless thing in the world. Pointing his wand, Daddy cries, " _Vipera Evanesca_!" and the snake disappears.

After a long moment, I sigh. Looking at my parents, I ask defeatedly, "I'm dreaming, right?"

"Of course not, Sumani," Mommy replies. "In September, you'll be going to Hogwarts, just like I did when I was eleven."

"What about you, Daddy? Did you go to Hogwarts, too?" Daddy shakes his head.

"No, I went to Ilvermorny in America."

"Then?" I ask, frowning. "Why'd you take me here? Why didn't we remain in America? Wouldn't I have gotten my Ilvermorny letter?"

"Yes," Mommy admits, "you would have."

"But Hogwarts is a better school," Daddy adds, "and you'll be closer to us."

"We talked about it with each other," Mommy continues, "and we compared our experiences. From that, we decided that it would be better fit for you if you went to Hogwarts. It's smaller, and there aren't as many people and not as many twists and turns."

"But I've never been anywhere without you before," I reply a bit harshly. "I've never been to a sleepover. I've never been _away_. You see, _this_ is why you should've let me go to a sleepover! You couldn't even have let me go to Sophia and Natasha's house?"

" _Ma_ ," Daddy says warningly. " _Ghoomatay jao_. Go to sleep. Like Mommy said, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

Groaning, I nod, and I walk up to my parents and give each of them a hug. Then, I walk back to our room and pull the blanket over my head, making sure to take off my glasses and turning off the lamp.

Who knew my existence could get so interesting with the help of a single letter?

…

I read my well-worn copy of _Brave New World_ as Daddy drives through the streets of London to get me to school. It's an interesting book with an interesting, more comforting dystopian future. I remember stealing Mommy's copy of _1984_ behind her back soon after my birthday and vowing never to pick up that book again once I finished it. Apparently, being two digits doesn't mean that I'm ready and willing to take whatever the world throws at me, as reading the book has scarred my mind for life. Soon after we moved here, I finally came clean to Mommy about what I did after a slew of nightmares involving Big Brother shooting my head, the Party unpersoning Daddy, and O'Brien releasing rats to eat me alive. To my surprise, she wasn't angry at all. Instead, she comforted me and said she shouldn't have left the book lying around. That was when I discovered _Brave New World_ , and it has since helped me see a much kinder picture of what our future world could possibly look like.

My parents told me about blood status this morning. Mommy and Daddy are Muggle-borns, so that apparently makes me a half-blood. Speaking of Muggles, Muggles are apparently what witches and wizards call non-magical folk.

My parents also told me about the four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Mommy told me she was a Ravenclaw when she went to Hogwarts but that it didn't matter what House I got Sorted into. When I asked about Shabana Auntie and Zooni Auntie, Mommy said that they knew about her magic but they weren't magical themselves. Otherwise, her status as a witch was kept under wraps.

Daddy told me he was a Thunderbird in Ilvermorny and quite popular when he was in school, but he never cared for the attention and only cared about passing classes and Quidditch. When I asked him what that was, he told me that it's a magical sport played on flying brooms. That's when I immediately decided I'd try out for it as soon I could. Daddy was apparently the Quidditch captain during his last two years at Ilvermorny, and that made me even more excited to learn. Daddy also told me about Quodpot, which is another sport he played frequently, but not as frequently as Quidditch.

Mommy told me about the prefect system and I learned that she was a prefect herself in her fifth year and Head Girl in her seventh year at Hogwarts. She told me that prefects were appointed in their fifth year and that you needed to have a good track record to become one. When I asked if I could be Quidditch captain and prefect at the same time, my parents answered yes but that it would be a lot of responsibilities to undertake.

I wonder what I'll tell Peter about all this. I know Mommy told me that I have to uphold some sort of Magical Statute of Secrecy as Daddy and I were leaving the house, but I _have_ to tell him! He's my only friend in all of England! Who else would I talk about it with?

I hear Daddy start to park the car, and I'm snapped out of my musings. I get up and take Mrs. Lupin's gift in my hand as Daddy stops the car and takes out the key.

As soon as I'm out, I smooth out my black plaid pleated skirt, adjust my black and gold tie, and button up my dark gray blazer. Back in America, I never needed a uniform, so it was harder to get ready in the morning what with all the decisions I had to make. Now, I don't need to worry about what outfit would impress my classmates because we all look the same. At that thought, I unbutton one of my buttons on my blazer. Then I reach inside my blazer pocket and feel the bracelet safely tucked away. Oh, I really hope Mrs. Lupin likes it.

As I'm about to go inside, Daddy ruffles my hair once more.

"Have a good day, _ma_ ," he says, planting a kiss on my head.

"You too, Daddy," I reply, smiling, feeling as if I was five all over again. After giving him a kiss on his cheek and a quick hug, I go inside the school and look for Peter in the courtyard.

"Manizeh!" I hear, and I lift my head up at the sound. I look around, and I find Peter waving to me from the swings. Waving back, I run over to the swingset.

"I saved one for you," he says.

"Thanks," I reply, sitting on the vacant swing.

"So, I've got something to tell you," Peter begins uncertainly as if I might stop being friends with him for what he'll say. If he _does_ think that, then he doesn't really know me now, does he?

"What is it?" I ask, knowing I've got something to tell him, too.

"I'm not returning next year," he reveals sadly, and that's when I get confused.

"You're leaving?" I reply, feeling a pang of sadness all of a sudden. "Where are you going?"

"It's not like I'm leaving London or anything, but I won't be going here any longer." Then, Peter looks excited as he says, "I'm going to boarding school!"

"Ooh, nice!" I respond, feeling genuinely excited for my friend now. "Which one? I'm afraid I don't know many."

"The school has a very funny name, and it was yesterday that an old, stern lady came to give me my acceptance letter. I forget her name. McGona-something."

I start swinging on the swingset, needing to feel some air.

"When did you apply?" I ask conversationally as I go up and down.

"That's the thing. I didn't!" Peter replies incredulously. "She just comes over randomly and says that I'm accepted at this school...what's its name...Wogharts, I think. No! No. _Hog_ warts. Hogwarts is the name of the school."

I stop moving. "Hogwarts?"

"That's what I said."

Now, I feel positively ecstatic.

"Then, you don't have to worry about leaving me behind, because _I'm_ coming with you!" I announce, flashing a warm smile.

Peter gets up from his swing as the bell rings for us to go inside and starts walking back into the building.

"What? You don't understand — you can't!" he sputters.

I laugh and say, "Of course I can."

"No...you really don't understand —"

"Peter —"

"It's not a normal boarding school —"

" _Peter_ —"

"And they don't just accept anybody —"

"PETER!"

"What?" he asks sharply, his rambling coming to a sudden halt. We're almost inside the building.

"I'm magical, too," I reveal with a wry smile. "I got my Hogwarts acceptance letter yesterday."

" _What_? No — _really_? We'll be studying magic — _together_?"

"Yes," I reply. "I turn eleven in August. Apparently, my parents kept my magical status a secret from me, wanting to expose me to the wonders of Muggle life. They're both Muggle-borns, so I'm a half-blood."

"Wow," Peter breathes out. "You know I turned eleven in May, so we'll be in the same year. I'm apparently what you call a Muggle-born since none of my parents know magic or use it."

"So, Deputy Headmistress McGonagall came to your house last night?"

Peter nods as he holds the door open for me.

"Yeah. She proper terrified me! Taller than both my parents, she was, and she never smiled during her visit. _Ever_. Her glasses were sharp, and her hair was tightly pulled back in a bun. She could probably _kill_ someone with her stare!"

I laugh as I take my seat at the back of the classroom next to Peter.

"I'm kind of nervous, really. What if I'm not good?"

I pat Peter's shoulder as I reply, "That's silly. I think you'll do awesome as a wizard!"

"I don't know…"

"C'mon, Peter! Don't worry. If you fail, I'll be there to pull you right back up!"

Peter smiles tentatively. "Thanks. You're a good friend, you know."

"Thank you! I'm glad to hear it."

The class quiets down as Mrs. Lupin calls us to her attention.

"Morning, everyone! As you know, today's the very last day of primary school for you all, so we're going to celebrate by going on a trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach!"

Murmurs of excitement are heard throughout the room as Peter turns to me.

"That's brilliant!" he says excitedly. "I've always wanted to go on Big Dipper!"

"Big Dipper?" I ask blankly.

"Only the most _wicked_ roller coaster out there! My sister and her boyfriend went last year after they graduated from uni, and they came back and told me all about it! Ooh, I'm so excited!"

I gulp as I say, "Well, I'm not too much of a fan of roller coasters. It doesn't go upside down, right?"

"'Course not!" Peter answers gleefully. "It's wooden! Why would it?"

"I don't know," I say. "I'm not the one who's from England."

"Sorry, sorry."

"No, it's fine. I'm just joking." Mrs. Lupin's voice pulls me from my conversation.

"Mr. Jenkins and I are going to load the buses with you lot at seven-fifteen, so for now, you can either talk to each other, turn in missing assignments, or play one of the board games."

I perk up at "missing assignments," immediately pulling my backpack onto my lap and pulling out my folder.

"You've got ten minutes to kill, so I suggest you get to it!" Mrs. Lupin says, and just like that, there's a dull roar in the classroom as other kids get up and do things as they push their chairs in and start talking. I seize my opportunity to turn in my essay and take the paper up to my teacher, not forgetting to take her gift as well.

"You've corrected all the spellings on it?" Mrs. Lupin asks kindly as I approach her, her chin-length light brown hair and bangs looking a bit puffier than usual as she sits down and looks at the paper I've placed on her desk.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good, good." I remain standing there.

"Is there anything else that you need?" she asks after she sees my unmoving body.

"Y-yes," I stutter, feeling somewhat nervous now. "I...I got something for you." I hold out the gift bag. I notice her eyes widen, and that encourages me to go on.

"I'm very grateful for your help this year. Without you, I don't think I would've been able to settle in London as well as I did."

Mrs. Lupin gasps a bit as she takes the blue bag from my hand.

"Oh, goodness...thank you so much!"

"It's a perfume and a scarf," I continue. "I chose the scarf myself, and I also wrote you a card."

I grin as I see a huge smile growing on my teacher's face.

"Manizeh, can I hug you?" Mrs. Lupin asks after she's viewed all the contents, including the card. "This gift is absolutely wonderful. You've honestly made my day."

I nod, and Mrs. Lupin reaches over from her chair and gives me a tight hug.

Suddenly, I remember the bracelet, and I pull it out from my blazer pocket after Mrs. Lupin lets go of me.

"I also made something for your son. I hope you like it." I hold out the bracelet for Mrs. Lupin to see. "I just thought it would be nice if he got something since you told me he was sickly and...and didn't have many friends." This is when I lose the confidence I had gained for that short amount of time.

"Oh, I hope it isn't too much," I garble. "I…I…"

Mrs. Lupin chuckles and says, "Come here."

I step a bit closer and I'm suddenly wrapped in a warm hug again.

"My son will _love_ it," Mrs. Lupin assures me as she pats my shoulder. "He'll definitely be happy to know someone out there is thinking of him. Thank you so much for the wonderful thought."

I grin once more as I reply, "You're welcome." Then, I nod respectfully and return to my table, feeling absolutely elated at my success.

As Mrs. Lupin calls our class to line up at the door to board the bus, I can't help but feel that nothing will go wrong today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRANSLATIONS:**
> 
> **_Ma_ \- Bangla for "mother"; can be and is often used to address one's daughter affectionately.**
> 
> **_Jao_ \- Bangla for "Go."**
> 
> **_Ekhane asho!_ \- Bangla for "Come here!"**
> 
> **_Ami ashtesi_ \- Bangla for "I'm coming."**
> 
> **_Dekho_ \- Bangla for "Look."**
> 
> **_Asho_ \- Bangla for "Come."**
> 
> **_Amar shate bosho_ \- Bangla for "Sit with me."**
> 
> **_Tarpore ey_ letter _khulo_ \- Bangla for "Then open the letter."**
> 
> **_Thau_ \- Bangla for "Give it to me."**
> 
> **_Ghoomatay jao_ \- Bangla for "Go to sleep."**
> 
> **...**
> 
> **Please let me know what you think of this story in the reviews! Feedback is most appreciated, but NO FLAMES ARE ALLOWED.**


	2. A Ride Rewarded With Black Walnut Wood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Hey! Presenting the second chapter of my self-insert! As before, I will provide translations in the endnote.**

"Peter, want to come over for dinner tomorrow?" I ask as we get off the train at Euston Station. Like I had predicted, nothing went wrong at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Big Dipper was awesome, the other rides were fantastic, and Peter and I ended up shoving our faces with cotton candy and other cool treats afterward.

"Why?" Peter responds, rubbing his tummy. I look up to see Daddy waving at me. Mrs. Lupin had told our parents yesterday that we would be picked up right at the station.

"My dad is a wizard and my mom is a witch. They could help out you and your parents with things such as the different customs of the Wizarding world and what witches and wizards normally wear. It'll be a learning experience for me as well since I know nothing of the world, either. We can learn together!"

Peter smiles as he replies, "Thanks for the invitation. I'll ask my mum n' dad if they'll come."

"And if they can't come, they can easily drop you off," I push on, now really wanting to have Peter over. It's not every day that I get to have a friend come over to my house from school.

"Got it, got it," Peter replies. Once I get closer to Daddy, I start running to him, forgetting completely about the people around us.

"Daddy!" I cry.

"Manizeh!" Daddy reciprocates. I'm scooped up into his arms as he gives me a very, _very_ warm bear-hug.

"How was your day, _ma_?" he asks.

"It was so much fun!" I reply as I pull away. "Peter and I did so many things together!"

"That's great!" Daddy says as Peter walks over. Then, he turns to Peter. "How are you?"

Peter grins nervously. "I'm...I'm doing well, Mr. Rahman. And you?"

"I'm doing well as well," Daddy replies with a chuckle.

"Daddy, can Peter come over for dinner tomorrow?" I ask. "To celebrate the end of school with me?"

At this, Peter visibly lights up, but he's tactful enough to not say anything.

"I'll ask Mommy about it when we get home. We can't decide this right now," Daddy responds.

"That's fine," I reply as Daddy turns to Peter again.

"What's your phone number, so we can call you?" At this question, I take off my backpack and pull out a scrap of paper and a pen. I hand it to Peter, who uses the items I gave him to write down his number. Then, he holds out the paper.

"Here," says Peter. "This is my number. My mum's usually available in the evenings."

"Thank you," Daddy says, and then he places a hand on my shoulder. " _Cholo_ , _ma_. Let's go."

"Bye, Peter!" I call out.

"Bye!" Peter calls back.

As we walk out of the station, Daddy runs a hand through my hair affectionately.

"So, what did you do?"

"Well, we rode on a roller coaster called Big Dipper. Peter was kind enough to hold my hand as we went down the big drop."

A confused expression forms on Daddy's features, but it goes away as quickly as it comes.

"I'm sorry, but I needed to hold _someone's_ hand," I defend. "I was scared."

"You know you're not allowed to ride roller coasters," says Daddy, sounding very weary all of a sudden. I see our car ahead, and I walk around the front and open the door to the front seat. It's still weird to me how the British have their steering wheels on the right instead of the left.

"I'm sorry," I say sincerely to Daddy as I sit inside and buckle my seatbelt. "I'm really sorry. But it didn't go upside down," I add to alleviate some of the guilt I now feel.

Daddy ruffles my hair as he buckles his own seatbelt and starts up the car.

" _Ma_ , you don't need to wear the tie now. _Khulo_."

Nodding, I loosen my tie and take it off. I place it next to the gear stick. Then I unbutton the top button on my shirt and let myself relax.

"Feel better?" asks Daddy, and I nod once more. He holds out his hand, and I grab it.

"You know I'm only looking out for my only daughter," he continues as he pulls out of the parking lot, and I know he means it. Unlike most kids' parents, my parents actually _mean_ what they say when they say things, and they're not saying things just to say them if that makes sense. "I don't want anything happening to you. Roller coasters can be dangerous. People have died riding them."

I hang my head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, _ma_. At least you went with someone and didn't go on your own. Peter seems like he's a good friend."

I smile. "That he is. He helped me settle here. I have him to thank for many things."

"That's good," says Daddy, sounding much happier. "That's awesome."

"Well, I'm glad I know that I can actually pick good friends."

"Don't say that," Daddy immediately counters. "You have good judgment, but it seems that the weirdos are always attracted to you."

I sigh, remembering that most of my friends I had in the past weren't the best. I was always hurt in some way, and Mommy and Daddy used to give me lectures about how to choose good friends. Evidently, their numerous lectures paid off in the end as Peter seems quite genuine.

About thirty minutes later, we arrive at our apartment in Earl's Court. I grab my backpack and tie and I practically skip my way up the long staircase once I get out of the car.

"Mommy!" I exclaim as soon as the door is opened, rushing to give Mommy the biggest hug in existence. I always find that I've really missed her during the day once I come home from school. It just feels good to get a hug from Mommy, and it ignites a sweet warmth in my stomach every time I'm in her arms.

"Hi, _ma_ , how was school?"

"Awesome!" I say into her shoulder. "The trip was _amazing_!"

"All right, you can tell me all about it once you've had a shower."

"Okay," I reply. I place my backpack down next to the dining table along with my blazer, and I walk down to my room to get my clothes to change into after showering.

Once I'm done, I run back to the main room and jump onto the sofa.

"So," I say to announce my presence, "any luck on houses?"

"Yes," Mommy replies. "We found some nice houses in Hertfordshire and Reading. We'll look at them once you're at school."

"Why then?" I ask.

"Because we still need to get your supplies and teach you about the Wizarding world and show you places. I also need to take you on a broom ride!" Daddy replies. I suddenly have an image of myself with my hair flowing back in the wind as I look cool with a confident smile on my face. This is when I remember Peter.

"Oh! I have to tell you something."

"What is it?" Daddy asks as he takes out some samosas from the fridge to fry.

"Peter is a wizard."

"Really?" says Mommy as she takes out three small plates. "How did you find out?"

"He told me that Deputy Headmistress McGonagall went to his house last night to give him his Hogwarts letter."

"Minerva?" questions Mommy with surprise, turning around.

"What? You know her?" I ask.

"Of course! She was two years below me in school," she replies. "We were good friends, and she was an excellent Quidditch player. She was a Hatstall when she came, which means that the Sorting Hat took longer than five minutes to Sort her. It took the Sorting Hat five and a half minutes to decide whether Minerva should be placed in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. It eventually decided on the latter. Well, I must write a letter to her after dinner! Tell her that my daughter is starting this year at Hogwarts."

"But why did you shield me from this magical world for so long?" I ask.

"Because," Mommy answers, "we didn't want to get your hopes up just in case you turned out to be a Squib. After we realized you weren't a Squib when you were four, we decided that it would be better for you to experience the Muggle world and grow up like us so that you'd be well-rounded." As Daddy drops the third samosa into the oil-filled pot, he nods in agreement.

"Anyways," I say, diverting our conversation back to the topic, "I'm telling you this because I want Peter to come over tomorrow for dinner. He's a Muggle-born, so neither he nor his parents know anything about the Wizarding world. It could be a learning experience for the both of us."

" _Ore_ number _neesilam_ ," Daddy adds to Mommy.

" _Teeghase_ ," Mommy replies. "I'll call his mom tonight."

"Good," I add unnecessarily. "Mrs. Pettigrew is always available in the evenings."

" _Asho_. The samosas are ready," says Daddy after a minute. Licking my lips, I get up and walk to the table.

"So? How'll I get my supplies?"

"I went to a place called Diagon Alley," answers Mommy. "It's hidden behind a pub called the Leaky Cauldron."

I scrunch up my eyebrows as I start munching on the delicious triangle on my plate.

"Why do magical places have such weird names?" I ask. "Hogwarts, Ilvermorny, Diagon Alley, and now the Leaky Cauldron? Who comes _up_ with these things?"

"Who knows, _mama_?" Daddy responds with a sigh. "I always found the magical people weird to be honest with you."

"Don't even get me _started_ on the names some people have!" Mommy adds, a smirk on her face. "The last Minister of Magic was literally named Nobby Leach! And there are pureblood elitist families as well who have the weirdest names. The two funniest names are Malfoy and Weasley, in my opinion, but Daddy always thought that Lestrange was the worst name."

I snort on my water and barely keep from spitting it out. After swallowing the water, I burst out laughing.

"Weasley?" I wheeze in between my bouts of laughter. "That reminds me of a weasel! Hilarious! Simply hilarious!" I notice that Daddy is also struggling to hold in his laughter.

"Come on, now," Mommy gently scolds the both of us. "You can laugh all you want about the Malfoys and the Lestranges, I don't care, but the Weasleys are a very sweet family. They're good, hard-working people."

I let out a breath once my laughs subside. "Sorry, sorry. I know, that's not kind. I'm sure all three of them are good."

"The Malfoys and Lestranges are not," Daddy corrects. "They're known for their hatred for Muggles and Muggle-borns."

"But the most notorious family are the Blacks, the only family with a normal name," Mommy adds. "You'll soon learn about how some old pureblood families are so obsessed with keeping their families pure that they marry their own cousins. The Blacks pride themselves on their blood purity."

"That's disgusting," I respond bluntly with a grimace.

Daddy silently agrees with a sad nod of his head.

"It is," says Mommy, running a hand through her hair.

"I feel bad for them," I reply.

"That you should," Daddy responds. We sit in silence, and as soon as Mommy finishes her samosa, she looks up at us.

"Well, on that happy note," she says, "I'll go and call Peter's mother."

…

The dinner was a success. Peter's parents were very kind to me and appreciative of our friendship, and Mommy and Daddy told Mr. and Mrs. Pettigrew, Peter, and me everything about the Wizarding world. From that information, I decided I would scrap my dream of being an astronaut and become an Auror instead. An Auror is basically a witch or wizard who fights magical crime, and there's a lot of action involved.

You see, I really do want to be part of that action.

After I mentioned this to my parents, Daddy said it was fine and told me to do whatever makes me happy (he quoted one of his favorite singers, John Lennon, on this), but Mommy took me to the side and said that being an Auror is very dangerous and that I should really think before I do.

As soon as I heard the word "dangerous" though, my resolve to become an Auror hardened. I didn't hear any of Mommy's cautionary statements after that.

Now, I'm in the car with Daddy as he drives me to the Leaky Cauldron. I was beyond ecstatic this morning because this will be my very first exposure to the Wizarding world.

"You really do look funny in those robes," I comment.

"I know, I look ridiculous," Daddy replies. "But the witches and wizards will think _you_ look ridiculous in your regular clothes."

I chuckle. "Well, at least you don't have a pointy hat," I sigh.

"Yeah, I'm not wearing that. That would make me look _really_ funny," laughs Daddy.

We pull up by a black, dingy-looking pub with a rickety sign labeled _The Leaky Cauldron_ , and I excitedly unbuckle my seatbelt and hurry towards the sign and wait for Daddy to catch up. Once he does, I back away and let Daddy open the door for me.

As soon as I step inside, I'm ambushed with many, _many_ different smells. It's dark, a bit dank, but quite homey. I notice people merrily chatting with one another at the bar, and others are eating some scrumptious-looking food that makes my mouth water. I cringe away a bit and hide behind Daddy as I spy a large, too-tall-to-be-human man. It's just my luck as he spies me, too, and flashes me a warm smile. Well, at least he seems to be nice.

"Who's that?" I ask Daddy, but he doesn't hear me and I let go of my desire to know why and how a man could be so large and _tall_. He's easily taller than Robert Wadlow, and Robert Wadlow was _tall_. He was one inch short of nine feet at the time of his death.

" _Asho_ , _asho_ ," says Daddy, grabbing my hand, and I follow him to the back of the pub, where he opens the door. I frown as we approach a brick wall. It's here that Daddy takes out his wand and taps some bricks (I don't care to memorize which ones), and like magic, it separates at the middle and reveals a whole bustling _town_ of people in funny robes and pointed hats.

Well, not _like_ magic. It _is_ magic, I remind myself.

"Whoa," I find myself whispering reverently.

"Cool, right?" asks Daddy. " _Cholo_. We need to go to Gringotts to withdraw some money."

"Right. Wizarding currency," I mutter, a bit disheartened that we'd be starting at such a boring place.

"I would send you off to explore, but I don't want you getting lost," Daddy adds, sensing my disappointment. He smiles and ruffles my hair. "We can laugh at the goblins once we're done."

I smile brightly. "All right, then. Deal."

As we walk through the street, I notice different things flying around in the air and small children racing on small brooms. I see some older witches and wizards waving their wands, casting spells, and others carrying school supplies as their kids converse with one another excitedly. Seems like I'm not the only one who's here to buy stuff for the upcoming school year.

After a while, we approach a white, misshapen building.

"How do structures stay _up_ like that and not collapse?" I ask in awe, craning my neck up to get a full view of the building. The whole street of Diagon Alley reminds me of some wacky, childlike dreamland. The only difference is that it's real. Very, _very_ real.

When I step inside, I suddenly feel cold as the silence surrounds me like a tight blanket. All I hear is the scratching of what I presume to be quills on parchment, and I have to slap my hand over my mouth as I see the goblins for the first time. Their scrunched-up faces coupled with their short height doesn't help me at _all_ to take them seriously, even though Mommy warned me vehemently to not do just that. The desks are unnaturally high, and the goblins' faces look snotty as they glare at practically every single person who walks by.

"I want to make a withdrawal from Vault 347," requests Daddy once we reach one of the desks.

"Key?" asks the goblin gruffly. He has minuscule glasses that hang at the tip of his nose, and his white hair is wispy and sparse on his head. I look to Daddy as he reaches inside of his robe pocket, which produces a bronze-looking key. He hands it to the goblin, who then walks around the desk and says, "Follow me."

We're led to a darkly-lit area with a maze of little train tracks that intertwine with one another. I notice other people hopping on trains with other goblins and zooming off to go to wherever their vault is. When I notice the speed, I start feeling a bit sweaty and I grab onto Daddy's hand tightly.

" _Ki hoise_ , _mama_?" asks Daddy concernedly, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Did you _see_ those trains?" I ask worriedly, my heart starting to pound and my legs starting to shake.

"Just hold onto me, and everything will be fine," Daddy replies as we step into the car. I feel mildly guilty when my nails dig into Daddy's wrist as I cling onto him for dear life, bracing myself for the wild ride about to come.

"It's okay, _mama_ ," Daddy whispers laughingly, trying to soothe my now-rattled nerves. "I'll make sure you won't fall. Don't worry."

These words temporarily calm me as the car suddenly starts moving. I nearly fall off because there isn't a gradual build-up of speed. It just goes from 0 to at least 100 miles per hour, no joke. I scream out of fear as the train suddenly dips and we're going downhill. And we're _still_ at 100 miles per hour. I feel tears start to stream down my cheeks, but I don't care as my whole body is now practically wrapped around Daddy's arm. I just want all this to be _over_. This is worse than a roller coaster, and it's worse than Big Dipper. At least on Big Dipper, I screamed in delight. This, however, is pure torture.

I start sobbing in relief as the car finally stops at our vault, and Daddy rubs my back in another attempt to soothe me once we step off. Then, he kneels and gives me a warm hug.

"Breathe, _ma_ ," says Daddy, effectively calming me down and making me smile, too. "Just breathe." After I've gotten myself together, I take Daddy's hand and we follow the goblin to our vault. The goblin unlocks the door, opens it, and steps back to let us go inside.

I let out an involuntary gasp as I see a medium-sized pile of golden coins and two smaller piles of silver and bronze coins.

"They're galleons, right? And those are sickles?" I ask, pointing to the golden and silver piles, respectively.

"Correct," says Daddy, smiling. "And the last pile is a pile of knuts. We'll need about five hundred galleons." I step back and watch as Daddy reaches into his pocket and takes out a tiny pouch.

"How'll you fit five hundred coins into _that_?" I ask, laughing a bit.

"I put an Extension Charm on it, so it has a _lot_ more space than it looks." With that, he starts putting the galleons inside. I decide to walk over and help him. After about fifteen minutes, we finish the task, and Daddy places the tiny pouch back in his pocket. We head out of the vault and nod to the goblin, who leads us back to the train and back up to the surface. The second trip isn't nearly as bad as the first, thankfully.

After we get out of Gringotts, I breathe in the outside air deeply, grateful that I survived that unexpected escapade.

"So? Where do you want to go now?" asks Daddy.

I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out the second page of the letter which has the supplies list on it.

"I think I want to go to Flourish and Blotts, was it? And get my books. Then we can go to the apothecary to get my potions kit. You said that I'd be able to get my cauldron and other stuff at a place called Wiseacre's, right? Then we can get my robes. But no matter what, I want to get my wand last." I feel a giddy sensation stir up inside my stomach at the reminder that I'd be getting my own wand today.

"You got it, _ma_ ," Daddy replies, and I grin. With our plan finally set in place, we start heading to Flourish and Blotts.

...

The trips to Flourish and Blotts, the apothecary, Wiseacre's, and Madam Malkin's were all quite eventful. The experiences were _very_ magical. (I know, I know, I can't use that as a metaphor anymore. I know!) Back at Madam Malkin's, I decided that I wanted to buy a casual robe as well so that I wouldn't look odd amongst the magical folk. Now, I'm wearing a dark magenta robe, and all of my things are safely shrunken and packed away in my pocket. All I wonder now is how my tie, sweater, socks, scarves, and robes will be Transfigured once I get Sorted.

"So, excited to get your wand?" Daddy asks, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah! Imagine what I'll be able to _do_ with it! Ooh, maybe I can even conjure up a snake like you did!"

"No," Daddy replies flatly. "You're not old enough to learn _Serpensortia_. It's very difficult."

I sigh as we reach a dingy old shop with a sign labeled _Ollivanders_. Not able to wait any longer, I rush inside the shop with a bounce in my step, accidentally bumping into someone due to my excitement.

"Oh! Sorry!" I automatically say, feeling absolutely mortified as I back away.

"Oh, it's no problem!" says the person I bumped into, and I look up to see a messy-haired boy with round-shaped glasses. He, like most of the boys my age, is shorter than me by a few inches. "Are you going to Hogwarts, too?"

"Uhm, yeah," I reply, starting to feel a lump in my throat as I start to handle the conversation on my own.

"You've got a weird accent," says the boy, and to that, I frown slightly.

"Yes. I'm American," I reply a bit harshly, gaining some confidence. "I moved here in February and found out I was a witch a few days ago." I step to the side as Daddy walks in.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I've never met an American before," the boy says shyly. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is James Potter." James holds out his hand, and I hesitate for a second before shaking it.

"And my name is Manizeh Rahman," I reply, introducing myself. I decline to say anything more as my stomach churns with anxiety at talking to this clueless stranger.

"So...you're going to be a first-year?" James asks. "Brilliant!" he continues, without even waiting for an answer. "I'm going to be a first-year, too!"

I smile slightly at this, still very uncomfortable with talking to this child that I have never met before. I have an urge to let him know that I'm not a Muggle-born, knowing that that's what he thinks after me saying that I only found out I was a witch, but I can't find a natural place to slip it in. That's when I notice a slender, hourglass-figured woman standing by the counter where a short, old man is. I notice that she has a sort of 50's-style bob cut with robes that look too dressy to be robes. Her hair is also graying and her skin is a bit wrinkled, so I'm surprised when James addresses her as "Mum."

I watch as James walks up to the counter and starts testing out different wands. I flinch as I see him blast off some other boxes from the wall with one of the wands. Another one causes the lights to go out, and the old man has to magically replace them. Finally, after a long twenty minutes, James settles on a wand which I hear to be, "Mahogany, eleven inches." The old man also says something about a core, but I'm in too much awe of the brilliant sparks that just came out of James's new wand to hear anything else.

As James is heading out with his mother, he turns to me and says, "Well, see you at King's Cross, then. It was great to meet someone my age! Hopefully we're both Sorted in the same House."

I smile again and give James a little wave, and to my surprise, he waves back to me.

After James and his mother are gone, I stand up and walk to the counter. The old man who's standing behind it notices my presence and walks to the back. He comes back with five boxes.

"Hello, there," he says. "My name's Garrick Ollivander. You're here for your first wand, yes?"

I nod as I ask, "Sir, how does this process work?"

At this, he smiles brightly, and I can tell that he takes immense pride in what he does.

"Oh! Well, it's simple, really. All you've got to do is try out different wands until one of them answers to you."

"Answers?" I ask blankly.

"The wand chooses the wizard, you know. Witch, in your case. Go on, try one."

Nodding again, I grab the first box and take out the wand. It's a light reddish-brown and very stiff.

"It's applewood, twelve inches, and a dragon heartstring core. Rigid."

I take it into my hand, but I'm not sure what to do.

"Give it a little wave," Ollivander tells me encouragingly, and I look to Daddy, who nods in confirmation. Taking a deep breath, I wave it, but it makes all the boxes from the shelves behind the counter fall out. I hastily put the wand back, but I don't apologize as I noticed that James didn't either when this happened to him.

"Not the right one, I suppose. Here, try this one. This is elm, fourteen and a half inches, and also a dragon heartstring core. It makes the least foolish errors and performs elegant charms."

Taking the darker wand hesitantly, I twirl it a bit, and I immediately crouch down and shield my head with my arms as more boxes from up above fall out and different glass items break.

Sighing, Ollivander waves his own wand and cleans up the mess. Then, he hands me a third box as I put away the wand I'm holding.

We go through many wands after that. Some are short, some are long. Some are rigid like the first one, and others are swishy. None of them end up being my match, though, and by the time three whole hours pass, I'm still trying to find a wand.

"I think this will be it," Ollivander says to me a bit tiredly, an excited glint in his eyes as I take out the wand from this latest box. "It's black walnut wood, a unicorn hair core, and ten and three-quarters inches with unyielding flexibility. It's excellent for charmwork, and it's a most loyal wand once it chooses its owner."

I wave this wand around lazily, automatically expecting that more boxes will fly out again, but instead, beautiful green and purple sparks fly out from the wand's tip. I grin widely, mesmerized by my success, as Ollivander claps enthusiastically.

"Excellent! Simply excellent!" He turns to Daddy. "That will be seven galleons."

Nodding, Daddy pulls out his pouch and takes out seven golden coins. He hands it to Ollivander, who nods and pockets the money.

"Thank you so much!" I decide to say because this man went through a whole lot of trouble just to find me the perfect wand, and I, frankly, feel terrible for wasting so much of his time.

"Oh, it's no problem whatsoever. None at all. You have a good day, now, and good luck at Hogwarts!"

Smiling, I pocket my new wand and exit the shop with Daddy.

"It seems that you're all ready for Hogwarts," Daddy tells me as we walk through the Leaky Cauldron once again and return to the normal world.

"I'm so excited," I reply, feeling giddy once again. "I can't believe it, still. I'm _magical_. I can do cool stuff with this wand! I'll actually be able to _cast spells_!"

"Just don't forget about us when you go," Daddy replies. "We won't be there with you."

I give Daddy a funny look and say, "Of course not, Daddy. I wouldn't do that. I love you too much!"

Smiling, Daddy places an arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. I close my eyes as I think of the new chapter of my life that I'll be starting in September. Now I know that I'll do great things. With magic, anything would be possible.

"I know you do, _mama_ ," Daddy tells me fondly. "I know you do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRANSLATIONS:**
> 
> **_Cholo_ – Let's go.**
> 
> **_Khulo_ – Take it off.**
> 
> **_Ore_ number _neesilam_ – I got their number.**
> 
> **_Teeghase_ – That's okay/that's all right.**
> 
> **_Ki hoise?_ – What's wrong?**
> 
> **...**
> 
> **Tell me what you think in the reviews!**


	3. The Journey to Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Here's the third chapter! As always, translations are at the end.**

Today is the day.

Today is September 1st, and I'm going to go to Hogwarts.

I turned eleven six days ago. Mommy gave me her old school trunk for my birthday, and Daddy gave me a new broom. It was called the Nimbus 1001, and it was apparently the latest broom manufactured by the Nimbus Racing Broom Company.

"Unfortunately, you can't take it with you to school this year," Daddy said as he handed the broom to me, "but I can give you some flying lessons before you go." Now, I know some simple maneuvers that I'll be able to hone during flying lessons at school.

My parents also jointly gave me a beautiful male screech owl who I've now named Saturn and a stationery set so I can write letters to them. I love Saturn, but I still have to get used to taking care of a pet because I've never had a pet before now.

But today is the day. The day is finally here. I look to the side to see Mommy still fast asleep, and I creep out of bed, tiptoe to the bathroom, and brush my teeth. Through it all, I feel this constant feeling of bubbling excitement that's just going around and around and around in my stomach. Not bothering to change out of my nightgown, I walk into the main room and see Daddy preparing something in the kitchen.

" _Asho_ , breakfast is almost ready," Daddy tells me, and I walk over to the table and sit down.

"So, are you excited?" asks Daddy, and I tell him that I am.

"That's good! We have to get ready and leave by ten-thirty so we can catch the train by eleven-thirty. It's now nine." He plates my food and places it in front of me as he gives me a fork. My mouth waters as I see the beef bacon, eggs, tomatoes, and mushrooms that are arranged on the plate very professionally. I honestly don't know how Daddy does it. You'd think he was a professional chef before I was born.

As I eat, Daddy tells me that he's going to get changed but that he'll be back soon. I nod, and I'm left alone with my thoughts as I chew on a particularly juicy piece of bacon.

We're supposed to meet Peter and his family at King's Cross Station as Mrs. Pettigrew called Mommy a few days ago to set up a meet-up area. Apparently, there is a platform Nine and Three-Quarters between platforms Nine and Ten. I still don't know how on Earth that can work, but I guess I'll find out today along with Peter. Mommy said that she wants it to be a surprise for me, and Daddy agreed with her. I wonder if I'll see James. Well, of course I'll see James, but I hope he remembers me. Nobody really does remember me, though, so I won't set my hopes up too high. I might introduce Peter to him if James does, in fact, remember. We three could be friends together. That would be really nice, I think.

After I finish my breakfast and sit around doing nothing for a bit as I watch my parents eat breakfast, it's finally time to go. I'm told to change into my normal Muggle clothes and to check my trunk to see if everything's packed. After I confirm that I have all my Muggle clothes, robes, and nightclothes along with my winter cloak and my supplies, Daddy takes the trunk for me and places it in the back of the car outside. I run down the long set of stairs after grabbing Saturn's cage and slinging my small bag where I have my robes to change into on the train around me and hop in the backseat, placing Saturn next to me. I look out the window to see Mommy coming down the steps and getting in the front seat. After a minute, Daddy joins Mommy in the front and starts up the car. I cup my hands and say a little prayer so we can be safe on our journey, and then Daddy starts driving down the road.

After about half an hour, we arrive at the station, and the excitement that subsided on the way here starts right back up again.

I quickly take off my seatbelt as the car slows to a stop. As soon as Daddy parks, I practically jump out of the car and start running to King's Cross as if I'm three instead of eleven.

"Wait, _mama_! Wait!" Mommy calls, and I'm snapped out of my musings.

"Don't run off. You only went here once! And don't forget your owl!" Mommy continues as she catches up with me while holding Saturn's cage, making me feel embarrassed that I could forget my pet so easily. I turn around and see Daddy taking out my trunk from the back of the car and running to catch up with us after getting a cart to place my stuff on. I feel slightly forgotten as Mommy and Daddy start speaking rapidly to each other in Bangla. Once they're done, they tell me to follow them. I do as I'm told and I follow them to platform 9. I run towards Peter's family once I see them.

"Manizeh!" Peter exclaims, and he pulls out his wand from his pocket. "Look at this! It's a hornbeam wand with a unicorn tail hair core! I got it a few days ago. The old man, Ollivander I think his name was, said that my wand won't answer to anyone else now that it's chosen me."

"Mine is a black walnut with a dragon heartstring core," I reply, pulling out my own wand from my pocket. "Ollivander told me that it'll be loyal to me for life, too! It's also supposed to be really good at charms. Did'ja get a chance to read any of the textbooks?"

At that, Peter's face falls. "No, I didn't. We only did the shopping a few days ago, remember?"

"Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to know since I did. Magic is so interesting!"

"Okay, we're going to go through the platform now!" I hear Mommy call, and I turn in her direction.

"Manizeh, you'll go first. Go with Daddy, and he'll guide you."

Nodding, I push the cart and go to where Daddy's standing.

"Okay, _ma_ ," he whispers. "We're going to run straight into that wall —"

" _What_?" I sputter indignantly. "I _pride_ myself on not breaking any bones —"

" _Mama_ , do you trust me?" asks Daddy, cutting me off. "Do you _really_ think I want you to break any bones?"

Sighing, I shake my head.

"All right, _ma_. Just checking. Like I was saying, we're going to run straight into that wall. I'll count us down, okay? One… two… THREE!"

I suddenly feel pressure on my back as Daddy starts running, and I have no choice but to run alongside him. I embrace myself to crash and break every single thing in my body before I even get on the train, but oddly enough, I feel nothing except cold air.

We emerge on the other side, and like at Diagon Alley, I see lots of witches and wizards in robes and other children with owls, cats, trunks, and carts. I laugh a little as I see a girl who I see is trying to calm down a very frazzled-looking gray cat. Some of the kids are wearing robes, too, but others are wearing Muggle clothes like me.

I'm so blown away by the handsomeness of the steam engine that has _Hogwarts Express_ painted on it that I don't notice when Peter, his parents, and Mommy come out of the barrier. I only notice as Mommy snaps me out of my reverie.

" _Ma_ , you need to quickly find a place on the train. I'll place a charm on your trunk so that you'll be able to carry it." She takes out her wand, points it at my trunk, and incants a spell. I return to my trance-like state as I pick up my trunk and find that I'm able to lift it over my head.

I notice James with his parents, and I try to get his attention. To my surprise, he notices me and waves back. He then runs over to me with a huge smile on my face.

"Manizeh! You're the American, aren't you?" asks James happily, and I can't help but notice Daddy and Mommy sharing a smirk at the "You're the American" part.

"I'm not _the_ American," I reply with a smile of equal size, "but I'm _an_ American who should really be at Ilvermorny." At this, James laughs.

"You know what? I like your humor. D'you want to find a place on the train?"

"Sure," I say, "but let me introduce you to a friend of mine first." I turn my head in Peter's direction and call, "Peter!"

"Yeah?" Peter asks, turning away from his parents.

"Come here!" Nodding, Peter runs over to me.

I place a hand on James's shoulder and a hand on Peter's shoulder, effectively forcing them to face each other.

"Peter, this is James. James, this is Peter."

I notice James hesitate for a split second, but then he holds out his hand and says, "Hi, Peter. I'm James Potter. How are you?"

Smiling shyly, Peter replies, "I'm fine, thanks. So you're going to Hogwarts, too?"

James looks at Peter as if he's said the dumbest thing in the world, and I can't help but feel uneasy at this.

"'Course I am, mate. We all are."

"Sorry, sorry," Peter says embarrassedly at his fumble. "I — I'm Muggle-born, you see, so I don't know much about the magical world."

"Don't worry, Peter. You'll be able to get used to it. You too, Manizeh!" James responds with a charming smile.

I want to tell James that I'm a half-blood like I wanted to tell him back at Ollivanders, but I know that this would make the conversation take an awkward turn, so I don't mention it. I hear the train whistle, and James turns to us.

"Meet me in that car," he says, pointing to the car in front of us. "I'm going to go say bye to my mum and dad now. We're gonna leave in a few minutes." Then, James practically sprints back to his parents. I run back to Mommy and Daddy as Peter goes back to his family.

"I'm going to miss you so much, _ma_ ," Mommy tells me tearfully as I approach her, and I suddenly feel the urge to cry.

"I am, too," Daddy adds. "It'll be so lonely without you at home."

I pull Mommy and Daddy into a tight embrace, and I feel two warm, loving hands wrap around me.

"I'll miss you so much. Both of you," I reply.

"Write to us as much as you can, all right?" Mommy asks.

"Of course!" I say as I start walking towards the train with my trunk and Saturn. "Bye, Mommy! Bye, Daddy!" I call out as I wave.

"Bye, _ma_!"

"Bye, _mama_!"

I continue waving as I step into the train car, and only when I don't see them anymore do I stop. This still feels so surreal to me. I'm going to a boarding school. For _magic_. And instead of becoming an astronaut, I'm going to become an Auror. How the turntables, indeed. After a few minutes, Peter and James join me, and we start looking for a compartment.

We find one on the left side, and I see my parents again through the window standing next to Peter's. I wave to them again as I sit in the window seat, and they wave back. This is when the train starts moving, and I make sure to keep my eyes trained on my parents until they get too small to see.

Suddenly, the door opens to our compartment, and a red-haired girl enters. Her eyes are red, so I can tell she has been crying, but she says nothing to greet us and just presses her face to the windowpane once she sits down.

"What's wrong with _her_?" James remarks a bit snidely as another person, a black-haired boy this time, pokes his head in the compartment.

"Can I sit here?" asks the boy.

"Sure," says James, and I decide to make room by moving to sit next to the girl.

"Is it okay if I sit next to you?" I ask the girl, thinking that she might want to be alone.

"Sure," she mutters, and shrugging my shoulders, I sit down on the side closest to the door to give her some space. I don't join in the conversation as the newcomer introduces himself as Sirius Black. I start to feel nervous, remembering that Mommy mentioned a notorious pureblood Wizarding family called the Blacks who practiced inbreeding back in June.

"Black?" I ask, letting my nervousness dictate my tone.

"Yeah," Sirius replies, and he sounds sad like the girl next to me. Why on Earth is everyone _sad_? Isn't today supposed to be a happy day? We're going to a boarding school to learn _magic_ , for crying out loud!

A long while passes in which I don't say anything, instead deciding to listen to James and Sirius's conversation. I notice that Peter's being ignored, too, but soon, even he's included. Neither of them looks at me, unsurprisingly. They seem too invested in their conversation about Quidditch. It's at this time that the compartment door bursts open for a third time with the newcomer also being a black-haired boy. I didn't know that there were so many black-haired boys in England. First James, then Sirius, and now this kid who seems a bit short for his age and unhealthily thin. I notice that his robes are a bit tattered and his hair is a bit greasy, and his skin has a pale complexion. He ignores James and Sirius's chatter as he plops down opposite the girl who'd been crying.

"I don't want to talk to you," says the girl, her voice constricted.

"Why not?" asks the boy. Sensing some juicy stuff, I turn my attention to this new conversation.

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

Ooh, a letter from the headmaster. Interesting.

"So what?" the boy asks again. I hold in a sigh at the boy's tactlessness. I notice that the girl shares my sentiment as she glares deeply at him.

"So she's my sister!"

Ah. Family issues. You never want to go there.

"She's only a —" the boy starts replying, but immediately cuts himself off. This boy really _is_ tactless. You never, _ever_ flippantly disregard another person's family members. That's just not a thing.

"But we're going!" the boy continues, a tone of exhilaration in his voice. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

Good diversion, boy-I-still-don't-know-the-name-of. This girl seems to share my sentiment here, too, as she mops her eyes and smiles a bit.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," says the boy.

"Slytherin?" James questions, the mention of that House pulling him from his and Sirius's conversation.

"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James continues, and I frown slightly. Why is he judging Slytherin so harshly? Now I'm confused. Is Slytherin actually worse than what Mommy said? I know she won't mind if I'm Sorted there, but now I'm having second thoughts. I know Mommy informed me that there _was_ prejudice against the House, but maybe there's a good reason for it.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin," Sirius says, his tone turning sad again.

"Blimey," James replies, "and I thought you seemed all right!"

What do you mean, James? This Sirius person _always_ seemed all right. Sirius grins.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

James stands up, lifting an invisible sword.

"' _Gryffindor_ , _where the brave dwell at heart!_ ' Like my dad." As James is saying this, he looks in my direction with a smile. I pretend to not notice as I'm feeling conflicted now about James's behavior.

The other boy makes a disparaging noise. James turns on him.

"Got a problem with that?"

"No," says the boy with a sneer, "but if you'd rather be brawny than brainy —"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius interjects, and that's when I start feeling a bit angry. James, on the other hand, starts roaring with laughter. At this, something inside me breaks.

The girl stands up and glares at James and Sirius.

"Come on, Severus, let's find a different compartment," she says to the other boy.

"Oooooo…" Sirius taunts, imitating the girl's voice. Something else breaks inside as James makes no move to defend the poor boy.

The boy, Severus, stands up, and I'm horrified as James sticks out his leg in an attempt to trip him. Severus stumbles a little, and the two of them leave as Sirius calls, "See ya, Snivellus!"

A few seconds later, I fix my best glare at the two of them.

"What was _that_ for?" I demand. "That was unnecessary!"

"Aw, don't be a buzzkill!" Sirius whines. "You're as bad as that girl is." James, on the other hand, looks a bit guilty now.

"No, I'm not!" I say in response to Sirius's comment. "That was horrible!" Then, I turn to James. " _And I thought you seemed all right_ ," I say in a mock-British accent with a sneer. "You know what? I think I'll leave, too," I continue angrily. I stand up and head to the compartment door. I look back at the three boys and let my gaze linger on Peter for a bit.

"Aren't you coming?" I ask Peter.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry," he mumbles. He stands up and joins me as we leave the compartment, and we walk as far as we can away from there.

"I — I actually have to go to the loo," says Peter a little later. "D'you mind?"

I smile at him. "No, not at all! Go ahead."

I watch as Peter scurries back in the direction we came from, and I resume my search for an empty compartment.

After a while, I come to a compartment where I see a boy with a scarred face and patched-up clothes sitting alone. I decide that he's not going to make too much of a fuss, so I poke my head in.

"Hey, can I sit here?" I ask.

The boy turns to me, and I feel a bit struck by his brilliant green eyes. As I look harder, I notice that there are gold flecks in them, too.

The boy smiles as he replies, "Sure, I don't mind."

I smile back at him as I step inside and close the compartment door behind me.

"How are you?" the boy timidly asks. "You don't sound like you're from around here."

I laugh as I sit down opposite him by the window.

"I'm American," I reply. "And I'm doing well, thanks for asking. How are you?"

"Good."

I decide to look at the boy again so I can remember his features later. His hairstyle is quite nice. I've always liked shaggy bangs, and the boy's expression seems kind. Not confident like James, but not timid like Peter's either.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Remus," he replies. "What's yours?"

"Manizeh." I hold out my hand. Remus grabs it and shakes it vigorously. That's when I notice a very familiar-looking blue and green bracelet on his wrist.

My staring must be evident as Remus says, "Is there something on my face?" He sits back in his seat.

"That bracelet," I reply, pointing at it. "It's very nice. Where'd you get it?"

"Oh, my mum gave it to me," Remus replies, a genuine smile forming on his face, and something in my stomach stirs. "She's a teacher, and she said that one of her students, her brightest one I might add, made it after she learned that I don't have many friends. Any friends, really. I was so happy when I got it. I haven't taken it off since."

At this, my eyes widen as my jaw drops open.

"Is your mom Mrs. Lupin?" I ask, suddenly feeling breathless.

Remus's face becomes reminiscent of my own.

" _You_ made it?" he asks. " _You_?" Suddenly, all the air is knocked out of me as Remus jumps across and wraps me in a very tight hug. Not knowing what to do, I put my arms around him as well. I'm surprised when I hear Remus start sobbing.

"You don't know how happy that made me feel," he says through his sobs. "I was so happy when I learned that someone actually cared. Thank you, thank you, thank you…"

I feel something swell in my chest at the realization that I'm responsible for making someone feel so good. I honestly didn't know that I would be able to see Mrs. Lupin's son's reaction, but now I'm so grateful that I can.

"You're welcome!" I reply cheerfully. Who knew that a little bracelet could make someone so happy?

Remus pulls away, and he chuckles as he sniffles.

"I'm sorry," he says, his cheeks reddening. "That was uncalled for."

I laugh and pat his back as I reply, "It's no problem! Really! I'm just so happy that I could make _you_ happy! Who knew that I'd be meeting my teacher's son on the way to Hogwarts? Also, I didn't know your mom was a witch."

Remus smiles a bit goofily, and I feel a warmth spread through my veins.

"She isn't," Remus replies, "but my dad is. I'm a half-blood."

"Me too!" I say with a grin. "My parents are both Muggle-borns, so that makes me a half-blood as well!"

"You know, I've never heard a name like yours before," says Remus with a shy smile. "It's very pretty."

"Thank you," I say. "It's a Persian name. It means 'precious jewel.'"

"That's so interesting!" Remus replies. "What year are you in?"

"Same as you, I think. Are you a first-year?"

"Yeah, I am! So? What House do you want to be in? I'm thinking of Ravenclaw."

"I don't know. I think I'll also be in Ravenclaw, like my mom was. Apparently, my mom knew the deputy headmistress in school."

"Ooh! That's brilliant! We could be Ravenclaws together! What House was your dad in? You said that both your parents are magical."

"My dad went to Ilvermorny in America. He was a Thunderbird over there."

After that, we sit in a somewhat awkward silence, and I start to wonder where Peter has gone. Resolving to look for him, I stand up and turn to Remus.

"Hey, do you want to help me find my friend? He was supposed to go to the bathroom and come back here, but I think he's lost."

"Sure thing," says Remus.

We step out of the compartment and start walking back in the direction I came from earlier. I have to back away as I see the same girl I saw from earlier carrying the same frantic cat quickly walk past us. I turn my head to look at her retreating form and I realize that she's trying to calm her cat down. I wish I could help her, but I'm allergic to cats. I just hope I didn't inhale any cat fur as she passed by.

Remus and I continue on our walk down the compartment, and that's when I find Peter walking down the corridor.

"C'mon, Peter!" I call, beckoning him over to us. Peter picks up his pace, and we three return together to our compartment. I sit down next to Remus as Peter sits across from us.

"Remember Mrs. Lupin?" I ask Peter, and Peter looks confused.

"Why?"

Smirking, I jerk my thumb to Remus.

"This is her son. Mrs. Lupin is married to a wizard!"

"Whoa! That's wicked!" Peter replies, turning his awed gaze to Remus. "You're in our year?"

Remus nods. Suddenly, the compartment door opens, and we all snap our heads in the direction of the sound to find a kind-looking old lady with a cart filled to the brim with colorful, whimsical-looking candies.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asks. Before I can open my mouth to ask what the heck those candies are and if they have any nuts, Remus jumps up. Realizing what he is about to do, I jump up too, pulling out my pouch.

"No, Remus. _I'm_ paying," I say, remembering the millions of times Daddy fought with his friends over who was going to pay whenever we went out with them for a meal. It was good-natured, obviously, but it was also a courtesy. Judging from Remus's robes, I also can tell that he isn't as well-off. I don't want him to spend any money that can be used for better things.

"Manizeh?" Remus questions, looking at me with a confused expression. "Do you even know what these sweets are?"

I feel my cheeks burn as I realize what I just said must have sounded very odd and out-of-the-blue, but I try to save myself from embarrassment as I reply, "No, but you can choose and I can pay… right?" I want to dig myself into a hole and never come out when the words are met with silence. Oh, _why_ do I have to be so clueless? And stupid?

"I… I was just going to say no…" Remus trails off, and my stomach starts churning out of embarrassment, making me want to rip chunks of hair off my head.

"But… if you want sweets, I can easily help you choose!" Remus continues with a bright smile, and the knot in my stomach immediately loosens as I let out a breath and run a hand through my hair.

"We'll have one of each," says Remus to the lady, and he picks up three of each candy — or sweet? — with the exception of a box filled to the brim with what I only presume to be jellybeans. I try to catch the name of it, but it's being moved too fast for me to grasp any words, even with my glasses. I notice Peter's hungry look on his face, and I can tell he's one who likes candy very much.

After Remus pays for the food (to my great disappointment) and the lady leaves, I settle my gaze on the treats that now lay in a small pile beside Peter.

"Okay. I'll pass one out to everyone," Remus announces, and I can't help but feel warm at his kindness. He just seems so gentle and caring about everyone and everything. I hope we'll be good friends, but I'm not betting on it. I never keep my hopes up.

Soon, we each have a sweet in our hands, and I look at the blue box which says that the candy is called a Chocolate Frog.

"What's this? Also, do any of these have nuts?" I ask.

"That's a Chocolate Frog. They're enchanted to hop around like frogs, but it's very much edible. And no, none of them have nuts. Why? Are you allergic?"

I nod, adding, "I also can't eat pork under _any_ circumstances. No salami, no ham, nothing. Nada."

"I see," Remus replies pensively. Then, he looks at me. "Okay, I'll try to see if they can give you food without pork and nuts. From what my dad told me, it's self-serve, so it should be fine."

Smiling, I say, "Thank you, Remus. You're awesome."

Chuckling, Remus replies, "Thanks. You too."

The three of us proceed to try each sweet (as I've decided to call them now), and I decide that the only ones I like are Chocolate Frogs, where you can collect cards. Remus's card is of Albus Dumbledore while mine is of Celestina Warbeck. When Peter tells us he got Merlin's card, we look at him in envy.

Soon, there's an announcement that the train will be arriving at Hogwarts soon, and I let Peter and Remus change into their uniform before I send them out to let me change. We talk about different Wizarding customs, and Remus tells us that if we're Sorted into the same House, we'll celebrate by eating the jellybeans (which are called Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans) together.

When the train finally slows to a stop, I smile. We're finally at Hogwarts. We're finally going to learn magic and _not learn math_!

"We're finally here!" I find myself saying giddily. "Oh, I'm so excited!"

As the three of us jump up and file out of the train, only one thought repeats itself over and over in my head as I walk down the platform, adjusting the sling bag on my shoulder:

_Hogwarts, here I come._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRANSLATIONS:**
> 
> **_Asho_ \- Come**
> 
> ...
> 
> **This is probably going to be the last of the translations for a while, since my parents won't be at Hogwarts, lol. Tell me what you think in the reviews!**


End file.
